Lecture Notes on the Sūtra of the Collection of the Father and Son (94)

The Aggregate of Death and the Aggregate of Birth

Original text: 大王。识为其主。业为攀缘。二种相因。初识生起。或趣地狱。或堕傍生。琰摩罗界。及阿修罗。若人若天。初识生已。各受其报。同分心品。相续随转。最后识灭。名为死蕴。最初识起。名为生蕴。

Explanation: The Buddha said: Great King, the Ālayavijñāna serves as the master of sentient beings; it is the cause for the birth of the material body of the next life, while karmic actions are the condition for the birth of the next life's material body. When cause and condition converge, the initial mind-consciousness appears, and the material body of the next life is born. This person may fall into a hell body, or fall into an animal body, or fall into the realm of hungry ghosts, or fall into an asura body, a human body, or a heavenly body. When the initial mind-consciousness of the next life is born, sentient beings begin to receive their respective retributions. Thereafter, the mind-consciousness on this material body continues to operate without cease, until finally the mind-consciousness ceases — this is called the aggregate of death, becoming a corpse, one who has died. And when the initial mind-consciousness arises, it is called the aggregate of birth — that is, one who is born.